Fears Rosemount site will remain vacant

A resident of Denman in the New South Wales Hunter Valley is concerned Muswellbrook Council's decision to reject Orica's plans for the old Rosemount Winery site might set a precedent for future proposals in the area.

Councillors unanimously rejected the development application for the ammonium nitrate storage facility on Tuesday night.

One of the reasons given was that Rosemount Road is not of a suitable standard to handle an increase in heavy vehicle traffic.

While business owner Steve Carter is relieved Orica's plans will not be going ahead, he fears the old winery will remain unused.

"The council rejected this proposal, largely on the state of the Rosemount Road," he said.

"I have a feeling that if there's a more suitable development planned for that site, better for jobs and whatever, that it may also end in the same fate that Orica did."

The site once featured Rosemount's wine production facility and cellar door and was one of the most visited wineries in the Hunter Valley.

Moscow's words and actions — including the alleged poisoning of a former spy — are not the results of random aggression but rather fall into distinct patterns that can help us anticipate Russia's next moves under Vladimir Putin.